1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to modular power and connector systems for lighting elements, and in particular to modular power and connector systems for light-emitting diode (LED) lighting elements.
2. Description of Related Art
In the last 15 years, light-emitting diodes (LEDs) have gone from an extravagant curiosity in the lighting industry to a viable and vital lighting source in any number of applications. LEDs require relatively little power, operate at low temperatures, have long life spans, are mechanically robust, and have a small footprint, especially when compared with traditional incandescent, and even fluorescent, light bulbs. All of those attributes make LEDs very advantageous to use in a variety of applications in which traditional lighting technologies would require too much space or generate too much heat, or when accessing and replacing traditional light bulbs would be too laborious or difficult. Additionally, the plethora of LED products on the market offer a variety of light levels (i.e., output lumens), colors, form factors, power supplies, and controls.
As a practical matter, the advantages of LEDs and the range of products that are available mean that an LED solution can be configured for virtually any lighting application. One of the more promising and commercially useful applications for LED lighting is in lighting shelving units, like gondola shelving units, where LED lighting can be used to illuminate products for sale.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,098,823 to Slesinger et al., which is incorporated by reference in its entirety, discloses a shelf power system. The Slesinger et al. patent illustrates both the ways in which LEDs and their power systems can be used in ingenious ways, and the ways in which they can be improved. In Slesinger et al., a power track is inserted into an upright support of a shelving unit. A power plug for a lighting fixture inserts through existing, regularly-spaced openings in the upright support to reach the power track. Yet this system has several shortcomings, including a plug made in both left-handed and right-handed configurations, and a shape and other characteristics that are unlikely to fit all, or even most, shelving units.
More broadly, while the characteristics of various LED lighting elements are becoming more standardized, the power sources, connectors, and other elements that power and connect to those lighting elements are far from standardized, and manufacturers continue to seek power, connection, and cabling systems that are modular, easy to install and check, and are adaptable enough to be suitable for a variety of applications.